Office of Postsecondary Education

The Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education operates as a sub-agency within the civilian Department of Education, administering federal grants and contracts that support postsecondary education institutions, research, and related programs nationwide. The Office manages a dual portfolio spanning both grant funding and federal contracting activity.

The Office has awarded 1,201 federal contracts cumulatively since 2002, with combined potential value of $181.4 million and $155.6 million obligated (86% of potential value). Contract activity has declined sharply in recent years: 178 awards in 2022, 96 in 2023, 93 in 2024, 5 in 2025, and 6 year-to-date in 2026. The most recent recorded award date is September 30, 2026. Among 396 distinct prime contractors awarded over the portfolio history, competitive concentration is highly fragmented; the top five by award count hold 19 percent of recent awards, led by NMB Consulting (15 awards) and Liu Yuliang, Duke Steven T, and Sprey Ilicia (each 14 awards). By combined potential value, the concentration remains minimal — LPE Associates, LLC is the largest by value at $3.2 million across 8 awards, but still accounts for only 2 percent of combined potential value among recent awards. The majority of awards carry no set-aside designation (93 percent of all awards); small-business set-asides account for 5 percent, with 8(a) designations (both sole source and competitive combined) representing 2 percent and other designated set-asides under 1 percent each.

Grant activity dominates the Office's portfolio. The Office has awarded 51,022 grants cumulatively since 2000, obligating $124.92 billion in federal dollars (with combined federal and non-federal share totaling $141.24 billion). Recent grant cadence shows 964 awards in 2023, 649 in 2024, 1,405 in 2025, and 89 in 2026, with 2 awards recorded in 2027. Grant-recipient concentration is highly fragmented; the top five recipients by award count hold 2 percent of recent awards, led by The Regents of the University of California (31 awards, $24.8 million federal dollars) and University of Wisconsin System and Trustees of Indiana University (each 28 awards). By federal dollars obligated, Jackson State University leads with $71.3 million across 20 awards, followed by University of Texas at Austin ($51.1 million across 20 awards). Among 5,988 distinct grant recipients in the portfolio, the top five by federal dollars hold negligible concentration. Grants are predominantly Project Grants (72 percent of all awards), with Formula Grants comprising the remainder at 28 percent; Cooperative Agreements and Block Grants together represent less than 1 percent of grant awards.

OPE develops programs to increase access to postsecondary education. This office works with state accreditation agencies to recognize institutions of higher learning that provide quality education.